


Rooms

by Fandom_Trash98



Category: RWBY
Genre: Decapitation, F/F, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Suicide Notes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-27 13:33:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12583004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandom_Trash98/pseuds/Fandom_Trash98
Summary: When Ruby finds a map and key she believes she and her team could go on a fun adventure. None of them were prepared for what awaited them at the 'X'. Happy Halloween folks!





	Rooms

**Author's Note:**

> Okay! So here it is! My Halloween contribution! I'm going to say right off the bat that this is a dark story. There's a lot of heavy stuff but the main trigger warnings are in the tag. I do have more to say, but I'm sure you just want the story, so. Here you are, I hope you enjoy!

“Guys! Guys! Look!” 

The current inhabitants of Team RWBY’s dorm looked up as their fearless leader bounded through the door, not caring about the large accompanying slam as she charged towards the centre of the room. In her hands, she held an old scrap of warn, strange-looking paper and a large, ornate, brass key. Eyebrows around the room raised in tandem as she lifted the two objects above her head and waved them frantically. Enthusiasm was rippling off of her, clashing with the three very different other emotions in the room. If Ruby noticed, she said nothing about it as she delved forward into an excited explanation that failed to actually explain anything. 

“Guys seriously look! I found a map! We should follow it! Come on, come on, this is definitely a team activity that’s worth it! We need to find the hidden treasure!” Ruby was practically vibrating with enthusiasm, arms swinging wildly as she spoke. 

“Ruby,” a cool voice of reason started, “where exactly did you find this map?” Ruby turned to Weiss, ready to ramble out the story when a dainty hand stopped her. “The short version, Ruby. Please.”

Nodding, and only slightly disappointed, Ruby started. “Okay well I was walking around outside, taking in the sights, enjoying the weekend-” 

“Neglecting your studies” the voice muttered.

“-when it fell on me! It literally just fell on me! One minute I’m stopping to look at some really pretty white roses and the next it landed on top of my head! I looked at it to try and figure out who it belonged to and realised it was a map! Come on guys! Let’s go find the treasure!” 

Ruby started to move to the exit when a hand clamped on her shoulder. Spinning back, she saw her sister had lunged forward to grab her.

“Woah there Rubles! I get you’re eager, but do you really think we should follow this? I know we did a lot of treasure hunts as kids, but I at least knew what we’d find when we got to ‘X’. I’m all for adventures, but do you really think we should risk this?”

Ruby didn’t answer. Instead she mustered all of her strength and gave Yang her deepest pout and biggest puppy dog eyes. She felt Yang’s grip lax slightly and decided to go full hog, drooping her shoulders and slumping forward slightly, all while maintaining eye contact. Yang stepped back with her arms up and Ruby turned her pout onto Weiss, who looked like she may protest. The heiress’ mouth fell open, then clenched shut as she willed herself not to fall for this trick. The longer she stared the weaker her resolve until she sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead. Two down one to go, Ruby thought as she turned to look at Blake. Blake, however, had already moved to pick up her weapon and was staring at her team leader expectantly. Ruby’s pout morphed into surprise and Blake rolled her eyes.

“The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can get back to my book.”

Ruby decided not to point out that that was hardly the sort of attitude this hunt warranted, given it was supposed to be fun. Instead she let loose a big grin ran to the door, stopping briefly to wait for her team to catch up, then lead them outside. Once they were past the grand doors of Beacon, Ruby stopped and regarded the map. 

“Okay! So the map leads us into Emerald Forest, so we should get going!”

“How deep into Emerald Forest?” Came an apprehensive query from Weiss.

“What’s the matter, Ice Queen? Scared?” The grin Yang wore goaded Weiss far more than the comment.

“Of course not! Don’t be preposterous! I was simply inquiring about how long we’re supposed to walk for this supposed treasure hunt.”

“About three quarters of the way in, it looks like.”

Everyone turned to look at Ruby, stunned. Three quarters in? That’s farther than they’d ever been into the forest, ever. In fact, that area was restricted to third and fourth years due to its high Grimm population. Even Ruby seemed to be re-thinking her plan as she scoured over the map. 

“Ruby, we can’t go that far in! We’re first years, we’d never-”

“What’s the matter, _Brute_? Scared?” Weiss mocked scathingly, even though she herself was hoping her partner would see sense. Unfortunately, Weiss had poked the belly of the beast. Just as Ruby was about to concur and suggest they spar as a team instead, Yang lunged forward, grabbed the map, and started looking it over herself. She then set off walking into the forest without a word, forcing her team to follow her. 

“Yang, I really don’t think-”

“Relax Rubes, we’re gonna go find that treasure for you, and Ice Queen is going to eat her words.” 

Red flickered through Yang’s eyes fleetingly, encouraging Ruby to hold her tongue. This was her idea and she did feel it could be a fun bonding activity for them all, providing they were careful. Besides, this gave her a perfect opportunity to get to know Weiss better. Her relationship with her partner had been steadily improving, however since the dance Weiss had started becoming prickly again. It wasn’t quite as bad as it was originally, but it worried Ruby nonetheless. If something was bothering her partner she needed to know Ruby was there for her. Unfortunately, Ruby was not at all skilled with words or with matters of friendship, and after talking to Yang some nights previous she had come to the conclusion to let Weiss figure it out herself. All Ruby would do is try to be the best friend that Weiss had never had and hope that in time her partner would feel comfortable coming to her. Ruby glanced back to Weiss in time to catch the heiress looking at her, though as soon as their gaze met Weiss sharply turned her head away, a light dusting of pink on her cheeks that Ruby failed to register. What Ruby did notice was the tenseness that permeated Weiss’ petite frame; clearly she was still aggravated by Yang’s earlier teasing. Ruby knew by now that the best thing to do was wait until Weiss calmed down a little, as anything she said would be misinterpreted and inadvertently upset Weiss further. It upset Ruby a little to realise that Weiss still couldn’t fully trust her, but she pushed it aside in favour of formulating her plan. 

A quiet ten minutes had passes, each girl lost in their own heads, when Blake suddenly stopped and crouched, one arm held aloft to stop the two behind her, the other arm resting on Yang’s elbow to stop her. Slowly, she lowered the arm halting Weiss and Ruby and placed it on her lips, ears twitching beneath her bow. Yang reached over slowly, holding eye contact with Blake, and untied the ribbon, watching carefully for any signs of anger at the gesture. Seemingly, Blake didn’t mind, she even seemed grateful, her newly freed ears swivelling around to both listen to what she’d heard and to shake off the numbness that had settled in them as they’d sat under the bow. Ruby chanced a whispered enquiry as Yang tucked Blake’s bow into her pocket.

“Beowolves.”

As if summoned, a pack of Beowolves burst through the trees of the surrounding forest, snarling and growling at team RWBY. A second of shock washed over the girls, before Ruby yelled out “Freezerburn!” and the area was coated in a thick fog. The ten or so Beowolves bounded forward into the smokescreen, either trying to clear it or blindly grab at the girls. Whatever their intentions, it was with growls of anger that they found the area empty once the fog had cleared. Sniffing around, they found the scents of the girls had all but disappeared in the overwhelming musk of roses that came from the rose petals drifting down to land on and around the pack. Even with a sense of smell as strong as theirs, the Beowolves knew they couldn’t pick out anything but roses. Growling, they skulked back through the forest, exiting opposite to where they’d entered. 

Meanwhile, a few trees away found the girls sitting high in the branches of one of the many beautiful jade trees. Ruby was panting, barely being held in the tree by Weiss, while Blake and Yang perched together on a branch nearby. Weiss was rubbing Ruby’s back with one hand, the other having a firm grip on her upper arm to prevent her fall, while the younger girl gulped in masses of air. Blake’s ears swivelled around in multiple directions, listening for the sign of Grimm over her leader’s heavy breathing. 

“You okay there, Rubes? That was risky, even for you.” Ruby nodded her reply, still focusing on her breathing. She knew it was risky to use her semblance to cover their tracks, but it was better than the alternative. Spinning a few too many times in air was better than having to fight a large pack of wolves. Even if her team were more than a match for the pack, it was better this way. They needed to keep their strength about them if they intended to go deep into the forest, which meant avoiding as many fights as possible. Ruby was just glad her team had agreed with that on their own, it only taking one look to convince them to flee. They did not need to get tired this early in the game. With her breathing now under control, Ruby sat back properly onto the branch she shared with Weiss and looked to her team. 

“I think we should move through the trees for a while. There’s Beowolves in the area and we want to do as little fighting as possible for as long as possible.”

There was a murmur of agreement as Ruby reached for the map she had tucked away into her ammunitions pouch. Scouring the map and the land before her allowed her to figure out where they were and lay out a course. She tucked the map away again and set off, mentally cursing the fact her plans were failing. Neither she nor Weiss could even move alongside each other, much less have a conversation, as they jumped through the trees; their focus needed to be entirely on their movements lest they fall or, worse, alert any Grimm to their location. Ruby mentally shrugged; there would be plenty of time for that later, she had to do her job as a leader first. 

A long while had passed, with team RWBY stopping every ten minutes or so to allow Ruby to adjust their course and to allow the girls a brief breather. Occasionally they would stop to avoid being caught in the sights of a Nevermore or sprint off in an attempt to escape the curiosity of an Ursa or Beowolf, but aside from those few moments the girls had developed a comfortable rhythm. After a few hours of this it became clear why this deep in the forest was prohibited to first and second years. Team RWBY found themselves stopping every few minutes as the concentration of Nevermore had shot up, and on the ground they saw many different species of Grimm, some they had heard of but never seen and others that they simply didn’t know existed. During one of the many times they had paused, Ruby turned to the rest of her team.

“Look guys, I know this was my idea, but maybe we should head back? There are Grimm there that I don’t think I even want to know the names of. If we end up fighting any of these then I don’t know how good our chances are. It’s not a complete loss, we’ll get back safe _and_ we will have significantly improved our stealth abilities. Well, me and Yang will have, Weiss and Blake were already pretty good.” The last bit was muttered more to herself than the others. It was only due to Weiss thinking about the situation that she didn’t correct Ruby’s grammar. She instead turned to look at Ruby.

“How far are we from whatever it is we’re looking for?” Silver eyes widened, as that was the last question she had expected. Weiss, and Blake and Yang for that matter, looked exhausted, and Ruby had figured that she would have taken any opportunity to head back to Beacon, shower and go to sleep. An elegantly arched eyebrow shook Ruby from her stupefied state as the leader withdrew her map and looked it over. 

“I’d say at the speed we’re going, we would have to keep going for about half an hour more, give or take a few stops along the way.” Weiss nodded and looked to steel her resolve.

“Then I suggest we keep going. We’ve been going for hours now and if we’re so close then we can’t turn back. Besides, I want to know what the hell it is we’ve been running around the Emerald Forest for.” Ruby knew that tone more than anyone else. That was the tone Ruby knew signalled Weiss’ stubbornness settling in and getting comfortable. Glancing over at her sister and Blake, Ruby saw a similar resolve there too. Sighing, she shrugged her shoulders, checked the area, and then set off again. Strangely, the half an hour to get to the ‘X’ on the map felt like mere seconds, anticipation pushing the girls far more than they realised. Said anticipation prevented them from recognising that the population of Grimm was far thinner the closer they got to the mysterious spot. Eventually, they happened upon a clearing, empty of Grimm, and with a quick glance around to make sure they were relatively safe the girls dropped down and approached the peculiar object in front of them. To call it an object was disingenuous, as it was very clearly a building. Square, gunmetal grey, one door and no windows, about the size of an average bungalow. It seemed as if someone had just deposited a box in the forest. The girls still didn’t notice the lack of Grimm, entranced as they were with the small building. 

Ruby stepped forward first, hands moving around in her ammunition pouch to withdraw the key she had tucked in there. She reached the door, only hesitating for a brief second, before slotting the key into the door and turning. A loud clunking startled the four young huntresses, before a click signified that the handle would now open the door. Weiss, Blake and Yang all approached Ruby as she opened the door and looked inside. There were no lights, but the light from outside drifted through the door, settling on the old chairs and tables inside, as well as the four internal doors. This looked to be some sort of waiting room. With a hesitant glance back at her team, Ruby stepped forward into the room.

“I’m gonna look for a light switch.”

The others nodded and stepped in after their leader. This turned out to be a mistake. The door slammed shut behind them, the clunking from before sounded again and the room was drowned in darkness. Weiss let out a startled shout and blindly began trying to find the door handle. Once she found it, she began tugging desperately to no avail.

“It’s locked! We’re trapped! We’re trapped in a tiny box in the dark in the middle of the forest and no one knows we’re here and we can’t see and it’s so small in here and-” A warm hand on her shoulder made Weiss shriek, but the hand clamped down and Ruby’s voice pierced through the inky blackness.

“Weiss I need you to breath. Slowly. I still have the key, so we might be able to leave. As for no-one knowing, do you think I’m that dumb? I texted Jaune to let him know what we were doing and where we were going before we headed into the forest. I told him to get Professor Ozpin or Professor Goodwitch if we weren’t back by nightfall. If the key doesn’t let us out, we’ll just have to wait until they come to get us, okay? Professor Ozpin will know what to do.”

Weiss heard the words and understood the logic, but couldn’t begin to control her breathing. Yang let out an ‘aha!’ and lights flickered on around them, but that didn’t help. The building was small. It looked small from the outside and this room was even smaller. She slid down the wall, her breathing becoming more frantic and forced as she felt her control slipping. Ruby was at her side in an instant, wide-eyed, asking what was wrong, but Weiss couldn’t bring herself to answer. It was too small. Everything about this place was too small. She caught Blake’s voice through the sound of her haggard breaths and the blood rushing through her head.

“She’s having a panic attack! We need to calm her down!” Weiss briefly thought she must be in a bad state to cause Blake to yell, before firm, gentle and surprisingly strong arms hoisted her up and then settled her back down. She was maneuverer so her head rested between a shoulder and a neck and an arm wrapped around her waist, while another rubbed her back. Ruby’s voice whispered to her, incredibly close. Weiss could barely make out the words, but having Ruby so close to her was working wonders on her nerves. All she could see, hear, smell and feel was Ruby. Ruby, Ruby, Ruby. It was enough to help her slow her breathing down just enough to realise she had been crying and that she had all but buried herself into the younger girl’s shoulder. That realisation caused her to squeak and shuffle back from Ruby, still seated in her lap, breathing now mostly under control. A guilty blush made her way up her neck and settled on her cheeks as she glanced towards Yang expecting to see a teasing smirk. Instead the blonde looked heavily concerned, as did Blake. The attention deepened her flush, and she looked away from her teammates’ gazes. 

“Weiss, are you okay? You don’t need to be embarrassed, none of us will tease you. This place gives me the creeps.” Weiss whipped her head to look at Yang so quickly she feared she may have given herself whiplash. Again, Yang looked serious and Weiss’ shock melted into gratitude. She sucked in a sharp breath, before beginning to explain.

“I-I don’t deal well with small, locked spaces. I don’t really know why, but they make me feel sick and, and panicky, and… I don’t know, I just really, _really_ don’t like them.” Weiss crossed her arms across her chest defensively and looked away. Yang gave a contemplative hum.

“So you’re claustrophobic. That’s no big deal Weiss. We all have things we’re afraid of. I’m absolutely terrified of the dark. I mean my semblance literally makes me a human torch. If it’s dark and I can’t find a light I should be able to make it, so when I can’t…” Shocked amber and azure eyes turned sharply to Yang, even as Ruby began to speak.

“Yeah… I-I’m really scared of blood.” Everyone turned to Ruby as she hastened to explain. “Like, I know! That seems weird ‘cause I’m training to be a huntress and I’m gonna end up seeing a lot of blood probably, but when I see it I… I mean I can usually handle it, I just breathe like Dad taught me to. It’s not- I won’t completely freak out or anything, I just- it just makes me panic. Inside. A lot.” Ruby squirmed under the gazes of her teammates, before Blake stole the spotlight.

“I suppose if we’re being all open and stuff… I’m afraid of… crowds. I… I can’t stand to be around people, even if I know them. I… well, it doesn’t matter. The point I think we’re all trying to make here is that it’s okay Weiss. None of us think any less of you because you have a fear. It’s normal.” 

Weiss gave a sharp reflexive nod, relaxing ever so slightly. Until, predictably, Ruby spoke up.

“Hey! I have an idea! If you’re worried about it being small maybe we should explore the other rooms? Then you can see that there’s more to this place than just this room! There’s no keyhole on the inside handle and I don’t have scroll signal in here, so we’re gonna have to wait until Jaune lets them know we’re out here and they come and find us. We might as well do something in that time!”

Weiss looked around to check that, yes, Blake and Yang were as enthusiastic about that idea as she was, but none of them could fault the logic. Who knows how long they will have to wait? Maybe exploring the box would be a good idea. The small flicker of warning that pulsed through her aura should have been enough to dissuade the idea, but oddly she found herself nodding in agreement with her leader. Yang and Blake shared a glance before nodding too, and Ruby let out a triumphant cry. 

“Awesome! Right, okay, so there are five doors, the one we came through, those two on the back wall and the two opposite each other on each side. We can start with this one on the left and work our way around!”

With that, the fearless leader bounded up and threw open the door, much like she had earlier that day when she presented the map to her team. The light from inside their room didn’t reach through and illuminate the room, instead creating a bright rectangle of light on the ground, partially covered by Ruby’s shadow.

“Come on guys! Let’s find-” Ruby was cut off by the slam of the door as she stepped forward into the room.

“RUBY!” Chorused Weiss, Blake and Yang. Within an instant, Yang had leapt forward and began smashing her fists into the door repeatedly, trying to break it down. Her eyes turned red and a growl of frustration tore itself from her as she activated her semblance and began pounding on the door faster and harder. Blake and Weiss stood, shell-shocked, staring at the door that just cut off the view of their team leader. Eventually, Yang’s assault ended and she began to pace in front of the door frantically, hands tugging at her hair. Before Weiss or Blake could utter a single word, Yang turned, ran to the door closest to Ruby’s and entered, the door closing before her much the same as Ruby’s had. Panic lanced through both Blake and Weiss. Both of their partners had gone through the doors alone, with no idea what was in this place. Neither girl could hear anything beyond the doors, suggesting the rooms they had entered were sound proofed. 

“We should go after them through the door next to Yang’s door. We can go together. The rooms probably connect, and I can see fairly well in the dark.”

“And if they don’t connect?” Blake shrugged and moved towards the third door, opening it. This time Weiss and Blake stood shoulder to shoulder before attempting to step through. Unfortunately, they found their way barred.

“What the…” 

“I think only one person at a time can go into each room, Blake. I think that’s why it shuts after you go in. Should… Should we not just wait to see if Ruby or Yang come back through? I really don’t want to be alone.”

“Weiss, what if they’re in danger? What if they’re hurt? You can stay here if you’d like, but I’m going after my partner.”

The fierceness in Blake’s eyes took Weiss aback, so she nodded once and walked over to the fourth door. Taking a deep, steadying breath she opened the door, chancing on last glance at Blake. The two locked eyes before turning and stepping into the rooms. The doors slammed shut, lights flickered on and one of them released a scream that the other never heard.

* * *

Ruby is running for dear life. She is sprinting as hard as she can to get away. She isn’t moving anywhere. 

When the door slammed shut behind her a strange tingling coursed through her body and she felt exposed. Like something was reading her very soul. Then the lights flickered on, dim barely existing lights, but lights nonetheless, and she wished she was back in the darkness. Blood. There was blood everywhere. It dripped from the walls and ceilings, coated the floors in its deep murky tones, but that wasn’t the worst of it. In the centre of the room was her true worst nightmare. Weiss, Blake and Yang all sat, throats slit open, wrists slashed to pieces, all pouring blood. So much blood. It seemed to come from every crevice, every pore on their bodies, blood. Their lifeless, glassy eyes all turned simultaneously to Ruby as she dropped to her knees and let out a choked scream. Her hands raised to clutch her head as she shook herself. This couldn’t be real, it couldn’t. She’d just been with her team moments ago. It wasn’t possible that they were here, dripping blood, looking so dead. Suddenly, raspy voices filled her ears, all three of them speaking in chorus.

“ _Look at us, oh great fearless leader. Look at what you caused. We’re all dead because of you. You got us killed just like you got your mother killed. You’re a curse. Everyone and everything you love is in danger because of you. You’re just a child. How can you be a leader?_ ”

Their words echoed round and round in Ruby’s head as she started panting. Every fear she felt was sitting here in front of her. She knew she’d do this. She got her team killed. All because she was some stupid kid who didn’t know what she was doing. Weiss was right, she wasn’t fit to be a leader, she was a child who lucked her way into Beacon. Sure, she could kill Grimm, that’s easy enough, but there was so much more to being a huntress than killing the Grimm and she didn’t have any of it. She didn’t even know what ‘it’ was. The three in front of her stood abruptly, looking terrifyingly like zombie puppets, and shuffled their way towards Ruby. Dread washed over Ruby as she stood and tried to run as fast as she could. She wasn’t moving though. Why wasn’t she moving!? Her legs pumped harder, but she was stuck in the same spot. She tried to use her semblance, but couldn’t concentrate enough to activate it, or maybe the room wasn’t letting her, she didn’t know. Her ‘team’ were upon her now, but as soon as they got close enough to touch her they vanished. She had no idea what had just happened, but she fell to the floor and curled up on herself. She could still smell the blood, still see it dripping around her in her mind, but she forced her eyes to shut tighter, ignoring the pain this caused. She clamped her hands over her ears and started to slowly rock herself while humming the song Yang always sung to her when she’d had a nightmare. Ruby had no idea how long she was sat there for, trying to replicate Yang’s comforts while her heart tried to bound out of her chest, but she couldn’t open her eyes for fear of what she’d see. Those were some of her deepest fears, but she knew she had more that could be exploited and she had gained enough control over her state of mind to muse that the room probably had something to do with her seeing that. At least that was what she hoped. There was no way that her team were really dead, so this all had to be some trick and the only thing she could come up with was that the room was responsible. Naively, she thought that if she closed her eyes tight enough for long enough the room would have pity on her and leave her be. Unfortunately, she had no such luck.

A low growl forced her eyes open and she froze. The lights had come back on, the blood had disappeared and Ruby found herself face to face with a Grimm she had only ever read about in textbooks and knew was far outside her level of skill. The Beringel pounded its chest mightily then examined the prey that stood in front of it. For a brief second it looked as if the Grimm smirked at Ruby before it charged at her with a roar. Still shaky from the emotional rollercoaster she had just been on, Ruby barely managed to dodge the Grimm with a roll. All of her knowledge and training seemed to have been lost to the winds as she stared at the massive Grimm before her. Her hands shook and she was fighting back tears. No one had burst through the door to save her and she hadn’t heard anything aside from the haunting rasps of her team and her own breathing and crying the entire time she had been in this room. She tried to convince herself it was because the room was soundproofed or something, her team were alive; all of this is a trick. Still, the Grimm in front of her looked very real and she found it felt very real too as she failed to dodge a massive swing from its giant arms and went careening into one of the walls. She withdrew Crescent Rose with the intention to fight until her dead team flickered back into sight on the floor against the far wall. They lay in pools of their blood, eyes locked on their failure of a leader, behind the Beringel. Ruby faltered, allowing the Grimm to hit her again, this time with enough force to cause her aura to crackle. She struggled to her feet, trying desperately to focus on the Grimm, the walls, the floor, anything but her team. Regrettably, she had only managed to make it onto her knees, Crescent Rose holding her upright, before another attack, much heavier than the previous two, slammed her back down into the ground, the Grimm’s claws cutting through her aura and slashing across her torso from her collarbone to her naval. She spared one last glance over to her team, wondering briefly if she’d see them on the other side and if they would shun her in the afterlife, before her world dissolved to black.

* * *

Blood was pounding in her ears as she ran into the centre of the room. She heard the door slam shut behind her but ignored it in favour of her mission. A strange sensation, not dissimilar to pins and needles, washed over her and the dim light that had flickered to life when she’d entered spluttered and died. Darkness enveloped her like a cruel, cold blanket, causing her skin to itch, and panic set in low in her gut. Shaking her blonde mane, she took a deep breath and tried to get herself to focus. Drawing in a deep breath, she attempted to summon her flame, hoping her current emotional state would fuel her fires. The panic contained in her gut flooded her entire system when she realised that she couldn’t feel it. The spark that was her semblance wasn’t present, instead replaced with a cold, murky emptiness. She was trapped in the dark, her sister was locked in a room, probably much like this, and she could do _nothing_.

Blindly, she wandered around the room, arms outstretched in the hope she could find a wall with a light switch. She bumped into something, something that was definitely not a wall. One hand came up to touch the object she had disturbed, trying to determine what it was. It felt like… a person. Eyes widened in the dark as a second hand came up and found that, yes, those were legs, dangling in the air without a care. Her fingers brushed against something suspended next to the body, a material she would recognise anywhere. Her sister’s cloak. No. No, no, no, no, no! It was a trick! It was dark! She was worried for her sister! Her mind was playing tricks on her, she had no reason to believe that this was Ruby! Almost as if to spite her, the lights flickered back on just enough so that she could make out the bruised, bloodied and battered face of her sister, suspended above her by the neck with rope. Yang backed up a few paces, horror etched all over her, before turning and vomiting profusely on the ground. Chancing a glance back up, Yang realised that the contusions on Ruby’s face looked like the type a person got due to suffocating, not due to a beating. Yang paled as she connected the dots, the pieces dropping into place as she noticed the stool a few centimetres back from Ruby’s lifeless body. No. Her sister was just excitedly bouncing about, talking about exploring the unknown and keeping everyone from being bored. She’d encouraged the team to follow the map, she’d been having fun, laughing and joking until the increased Grimm concentration had forced her to be silent. Even then she had been quietly ecstatic. There is no way that her sister would have committed suicide. None. 

Tear-filled eyes raked over the hanging body, looking for anything to prove that this wasn’t her Ruby, and spotted a piece of paper clipped to the front of her corset. Curiosity fought with her reluctance to go anywhere near the body and won. Yang stood and delicately unpinned what she realised was a note. Eyes widened and tears finally fell as Yang read the letter over.

_Yang,_

_You don’t deserve this letter. You don’t deserve to have anything from me, but the part of me that still cares for you feels you should get an explanation, even if you won’t like it. To be blunt, I have done this because of you. You failed me as my sister. When we arrived at Beacon, you abandoned me to Weiss’ ire. You were reluctant at the idea of being on a team with me. You forced me into social situations so that you wouldn’t have to worry about me making friends. It was always about you. As soon as our team was formed you deserted me in favour of your new partner. You ignored how Weiss constantly verbally beat me down. Even today, when I suggested we head back and do something safer, you ignored me in favour of your own desires. I can’t take that anymore. I never wanted to be your project. I’m sorry I was a burden on you. I’m sorry you were forced onto a team with me. I’m sorry I couldn’t make you happy for long enough. I’m sorry._

_Ruby_

By the end, Yang was openly sobbing apologies. This was her worst nightmare. She wasn’t Ruby’s mother and she had no idea how to be a mother. She always feared she was pushing Ruby too hard, and now here was the proof. Her sister had committed suicide because of her. She’d failed. Part of her mind pointed out how unlike Ruby the letter sounded, the style of writing more akin to Weiss or Blake than Ruby, but her grief drowned out her logic and her wails only escalated as the limited light went out once more. She was left in the dark, bawling, knowing her sister’s body hung a mere foot from her, knowing she would never be able to summon her fire now. 

All the fight she had was gone. 

As she acknowledged that fact, the lights came on with startling intensity, not bright by normal measures but a lot brighter than the treacly gloom she had been wallowing in. Her head turned slowly to the sound of claws clicking. Even as the Deathstalker charged towards her, she just sat, numb. Her reason for living was gone now, why put up a fight? Accepting this, Yang kept her aura lowered as the Deathstalker charged at her, swinging its massive claw. Her semblance didn’t even stir as she collided into the back wall near the door, blood pouring from the large gash across her forehead. She caught one last glimpse of her sister’s hanging body before a second ram from the Deathstalker forced her from consciousness. One fleeting thought accompanied her into the darkness. ‘I’m sorry Ruby.’

* * *

Blake was quick to act, eyes scanning the room, her vision not hampered by the low lighting. Something bristled against her aura and suddenly the room got darker, forcing her to strain. ‘Must have realised I’m a faunus and tried to compensate’ was the thought that accompanied her new-found need to squint. Fear pricked at her as she realised there was only one door in here, which meant that she had just walked into a room she couldn’t exit _and_ couldn’t make her way to Weiss. Guilt hit her next as she realised she had goaded Weiss into doing the same and now all of her team were on their own in a room. She took a deep, calming breath and tried to logically sort through the situation. She was on her own in a strange room that wouldn’t let her leave. She had no way of getting to the other rooms, which means that the only exit was the one she’d come through. She turned back and examined the door. There didn’t seem to be any puzzle she needed to complete, nor a button she could press to release the lock. A hand on her shoulder had her turning around with a jump and a startled shout fell from her lips. 

“Long time no see, my love.”

That was the only warning she got before he drew Wilt and swung for her, her years of training barely allowing her to draw Gambol Shroud quick enough to deflect the hit. She attempted to use her semblance to push herself away from him, but it wouldn’t come and instead Wilt collided with her aura, shoving her backwards a few paces. Fear flickered across her face as she ran away from him, questions screaming in her mind. Why was he here? _How_ was he here? Why couldn’t she use her semblance!? The sound of Blush cocking met her exposed faunus ears and she reflexively dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the bullets streaming towards where she just stood. Mentally shaking herself, she turned to face him, now a good distance away. Whatever the reasons, she couldn’t let them distract her. He was here, that was all the information she needed. Rage bubbled within her, but she forced it down. Every time she found herself content he showed up to ruin it. Would she never be free from him? 

“I see you’re still a runner. Perhaps you should have been a gazelle faunus, my love.” The smirk in his voice infuriated her, but again she forced herself to ignore his taunts. 

“Not talking? Very well, my love, I guess I’ll have to make you speak. Talk to me, or she gets it.” Wide amber eyes snap to the blonde kneeling, bound on the ground behind Adam. How had she not noticed Yang? How was Yang even here? There were no other entrances! What the hell was going on!? Blush swivelled to point at Yang and Blake forced herself to speak.

“W-What are you doing here!?” It wasn’t much, but it appeared to satisfy him for the moment, as he turned back to her. 

“Why, I’m here for you, my love. I’m here to bring you back. You betrayed me, my love, and I am very angry with you, but you will always have a home with the White Fang.”

“NO! THE WHITE FANG IS NOT MY HOME!” Blake regretted the cry as soon as it was over, watching as Adam’s mocking smile fell into an irritated frown. 

“Very well, my love.” Then he spun in place, withdrawing Wilt and slicing through Yang’s neck. For Blake, Yang’s head fell to the ground in slow motion; bile rose to the back of her throat as she staggered back. He’d killed her. He’d _killed_ Yang, all because of her. Her entire body shook as she fell to the ground. Slowly, he walked over to her, sheathing Wilt and then stopping to kneel in front of her. A hand lifted her chin, surprisingly delicately, and Blake found herself staring into the mask.

“This is just the beginning, my love. I’ll be back for the rest.” His gentle voice was anything but soothing. Standing, he turned away from her, walking to the back of the room, not that she noticed; as soon as he dropped her head, her gaze fell on Yang’s body. A cry, rage and sadness combined, clawed its way out of her throat and she leapt to her feet, weapon drawn, to find Adam gone. In his place, a King Taijitu coiled around itself, watching her. ‘Fine’, she found herself thinking, ‘it’s not him, but it will do’. A war cry erupted from her as she charged forward and began slicing at the Grimm with no mercy. She shook with rage and adrenaline, yet her mind was blissfully silent. She refused to look back at the spot where Yang lay, opting to instead close her eyes as she back flipped over the strike of the black head of the Taijitu. Slash after slash after slash rained down on the Grimm, Blake like a whirling shadow of pain. Slitting the throat of the black head, she ran towards the wall and then up it, twirling in the air to bring down a storm of metal on the remaining white head of the Taijitu. The door at the far wall burst open as her blades connected, decapitating the Grimm, and she released a scream of rage. It wasn’t enough. Looking up, ready to attack whoever or whatever had come through that door, she froze. Professor Goodwitch stood in the doorway, shock painting her features as she took stock of the state of the Grimm behind Blake. Metal clattered as Blake dropped her weapons and fell to her knees, a sob wrenching free from her chest. She was hoisted into the air a moment later, pressed against a soothing feminine frame. The movement jostled her slightly, drawing her attention to the sharp, stinging pain in her right thigh. She must have gotten hit. Quickly, she found she didn’t care. Yang was dead. Who cared if she bled out right there?

“It’s alright, Miss Belladona. You’re alright.”

All Blake could do was shake her head and bury herself deeper into Professor Goodwitch’s arms. It wasn’t alright. It would never be alright again.

* * *

The door slammed shut behind her and Weiss gulped, her eyes screwing shut. Exhaling a shaky breath, she tried to maintain her calm. She had a mission; find her partner, ensure she was safe. What sort of best teammate was she if she let her fear prevent her from helping Ruby? Another shuddering breath was released before Weiss opened her eyes and immediately sucked in a sharp breath. The tingling against her aura felt invasive, but it was the apparent shrinking of the room and the man stood in a crisp white suit, one of his hands resting on the shoulder of a shorter girl with a red cloak that caused the bile to rise in her throat and her stomach to sink. The walls stopped moving as Weiss locked eyes with the man responsible for so many of her hardships.

“Father? Why are you here? Ruby… What’s going on?” Weiss silently hoped that her voice wasn’t as shaky as it sounded in her ears. The way they were looking at her was making her skin crawl; she knew her father could be as cold as ice with double the bite, but to see such a malicious smirk on her partner’s face was jarring. 

“Your team leader and I were just having a conversation about you, Weiss. It is convenient that you have arrived at this time.” His silky voice felt like slime against her ears and she was unable to repress a shudder at the sound. “She has informed me of some… troubling… news.” Something akin to rage or disgust flashed through his eyes, perhaps both, as he spoke. Unconsciously, Weiss gulped.

“And what news would that be, Father?” Nothing sprang to mind; what could Ruby possibly tell him?

“She informed me of your _infatuation_ with her.”

Weiss’ already fair skin paled as her father all but spat out the word ‘infatuation’. How could Ruby have known? She’d been so careful. But more importantly, why had Ruby told her father? Slowly, Weiss turned her head towards her partner, eyes widening in fear and despair as she took in the spiteful smile widening on Ruby’s face. 

“Did you think I didn’t know?” Ruby’s voice was icy, harsh, nothing like the Ruby Weiss knew. “You know you should really consider taking a class on subtlety, Weiss. How could I not notice you staring at me like some sort of sick _pervert_?” 

Weiss took a step back in fear as Ruby leered at her. She had been discovered. The very thing she had been trying so hard to hide was out in the open and to make matters worse her _father_ knew. Without realising it, Weiss had begun hyperventilating, the information spinning in her mind and making her dizzy. A hand came to clutch at her chest as she panted, while her father and Ruby simply stood and watched, sick pleasure at her distress written across their faces. Suddenly, everything in Weiss stilled as her mind raced and she thought. This didn’t make any sense. Ruby, all that she cared for the girl, was as dense as a brick; there was simply no way she knew. Glancing around she could see that there were no other doors save the one she entered through, and the room was definitely empty when she’d entered. This was some kind of trick, she was sure. This building had done nothing but torment her and now this was its final play. Trapping her in a tiny room, bringing her fears to life, all of it didn’t seem logical to the young heiress. Her father simply couldn’t be here. Ruby couldn’t be here. Weiss had watched her partner enter a room opposite to the one she currently found herself in, there was _no way_ she was here. Resolve growing, she unsheathed Myrtenaster and pointed it towards Ruby and her father. She would strike them down. She would prove they weren’t real, that this was a trick. Doubt whispered at the back of her mind, and she pointed her weapon at her father. She was absolutely certain he couldn’t be here, but there was still the possibility that Ruby was real. She could never hurt Ruby. Sucking in a breath, Weiss prepared to lunge at her father. Then the room went black and she froze. 

A low growl permeated the air and the lights flickered back on. Beowolves. Lots of them. Weiss swallowed a lump, her palms growing sweaty, as she eyed the thirty or so beowolves in front of her. Confident in her abilities she may be, but she had never had to take on this many at once, not without someone there to step in should she fall. The hand gripping Myrtenaster began to shake as she took another step back, trying in vain to keep her fear at bay. At the back of her mind she noted her father and Ruby had disappeared. Neither she nor the beowolves moved, locked in a staring contest she feared breaking. Part of her wondered if she could just stay like this, keeping the wolves unprovoked and docile. A bigger part of her knew how ridiculous that idea was; if staring contests were all it took hunters wouldn’t exist. Chambering ice dust, Weiss subtly altered her stance. She did not want to fight them all at once, but if she divided them she had a good chance of winning. Seemingly reading her mind, the beowolves didn’t allow her the mere second it would have taken her to erect an ice barrier, instead lunging at her, all teeth, claws and snarls. A reflexive scream tore from her throat as she raised her rapier into a defensive position. The scream grew from one of fear to one of pain as the beowolf that reached her bit down hard into the arm holding her weapon aloft. Its teeth dragged down her arm, seemingly trying to rip the limb from her, and she dropped to her knees, hand no longer able to hold her rapier. 

Fear overtook all senses and Weiss wondered if this was how she was going to die. Question after question burned through her mind. She knew she had more stamina than this, why was she giving in so quickly? What was the deal with her father and Ruby’s apparent presence? The biggest question on her mind, however, was simply ‘How the hell did all of this happen?’ As Weiss resigned herself to being the wolf’s chew toy the door burst open. A loud blast sounded and Weiss turned to find the smoking end of Professor Port’s Blunderaxe pointing through the doorway. A sob of relief wrenched the girl apart as her favourite Professor tore through the beowolves like paper and turned to her. She felt herself being lifted carefully, her torn arm being gently rested on her chest. Without a word, Professor Port carried her out of her hell. When she was taken back into the first room the sight she met made her stomach flip. Ruby was unconscious, bleeding profusely from a wound in her chest and being held by Professor Ozpin, who wore an unreadable expression; Yang was also unconscious, her face looking the most battered and bruised Weiss had ever seen on any person, as she was carried by Dr Oobleck. Then there was Blake. Blake was curled into Professor Goodwitch’s chest, trembling and sobbing, blood streaming from a very large gash in her upper right thigh. Professor Goodwitch was whispering comforting words as Blake shook and choked out ‘No, no, no’ over and over again between heart-wrenching sobs. Weiss’ own crying, which had slowed, now picked back up in full force. Her team was so broken. Her friends. Her partner. Weiss and Blake cried the entire journey back to Beacon.

* * *

Ruby shot up like a bolt, eyes wide, panting for air. The bed she found herself in was nothing like where she was when she collapsed and she heard the beeps on the heartrate monitor speed up as her terror pitched. Wait, heartrate monitor? The hand that had been desperately trying to remove the blankets from her person stilled and she took in her surroundings. She was in a hospital bed, with a large bandage wrapped around her front, she was one of four beds in the room, the other three being occupied by her teammates. Her teammates! Ruby resumed her frantic scramble to get out of her bed when a level voice cut through her efforts.

“Please, Miss Rose, remain in your bed.” Silver eyes took notice of her headmaster sat in a seat against the wall next to the door. His cane was propped up against the wall and his coffee mug was empty, discarded on the floor. Against her better judgement, Ruby sat back, eyes cutting over to her teammates once more before settling on Professor Ozpin. In a voice far more confident than she felt, she asked “What happened?” Ozpin let out a deep sigh, one hand rubbing the skin between his eyebrows. He cleared his throat and began.

“The building you girls found in the woods was a special building, meant to be used in the fourth year. It is part of the curriculum and something every licensed hunter from any of the schools has to experience and pass. It was designed in Atlas for Atlas Academy quite a while ago, shortly after the Great War. The technology in the box is… unique. The box reads your aura, which, as you know, is directly linked to your soul. I do not understand the technology myself, however I understand what it does. It can read your aura to find your greatest fears and then the room itself uses that data to make your greatest fears come to life before your eyes.” Ozpin paused to allow Ruby to take in this information for a moment, before continuing.

“I suppose you’re wondering what the purpose of such a building is? The point of this test is to force a hunter to witness their greatest fears come to life, takes away their semblance and then makes them fight Grimm afterwards. It teaches a hunter to carry on even when everything they fear comes to fruition. Like you, Miss Rose, a lot of the huntsmen and huntresses at this school fear losing their team, though few find it their biggest fear. It’s more common for team leaders to have this fear. No one else on your team shared it to the same extent you did. You and your team were not supposed to enter that building for a very, very long time. Before anyone is cleared to enter there are specific requirements, objectives they must complete, before they are deemed as ready to face the challenge. If you are not properly prepared it can damage you significantly. Due to this, I am assigning Team RWBY mandatory counselling until I am convinced you are all coping well with this. I am truly sorry that you had to experience this so soon. When my scroll informed me that someone had accessed the building and I found it was your team, I tried to arrive as quickly as possible. I, Professor Goodwitch, Doctor Oobleck and Professor Port reached your team in time to terminate the Grimm you were facing, however we did not arrive in time to prevent your emotional and physical injuries. Again I am deeply sorry for this fact.”

All Ruby could do was nod. Part of her was relieved. Her team was safe, they were alive, but she felt this was her fault. If she hadn’t insisted they follow that stupid map then this mess wouldn’t have happened. The room may not have been real, but the truth was the truth, she was a failure of a leader no matter how you looked at it. Just a stupid kid.

“Miss Rose.” Ruby turned sharply to Ozpin, apologising when she realised he had asked her a question and she had ignored it. She mumbled an apology.

“It’s quite alright. I was simply enquiring as to how you found the building in the first place. The reason it is located so deep in the Emerald Forest is so that students could not simply stumble upon it while on a stroll.” Silently, Ruby pointed to her ammunitions pouch, which lay on top of her torn and bloodied clothing. Raising an eyebrow, Ozpin opened the pouch and retrieved the map and key. His other eyebrow met the first as he inspected the items.

“Where on Remnant did you find these?” Ozpin’s calm exterior melted away into shock. Ruby shrugged.

“I was walking around the grounds near the back of the school and had stopped to look at some flowers. They fell on me. I thought it was a treasure map.” The last sentence was murmured but Ozpin heard it perfectly. He sat in silence.

“I am terribly sorry for all of this Miss Rose. I will figure out how this came to be in your possession and ensure the matter is taken care of.” His voice was calm and firm, but internally he boiled with fury. Someone had done this purposefully. The map and the key were kept in his office and only the other professors and the fourth years knew where. He had felt that telling the fourth years was a good idea, it would encourage them to approach him when they were ready. He was rarely out of his office so he didn’t fear it being stolen, and if it was he would be alerted when they entered the building. That was what he had initially thought had happened. A fourth year team had been too shy to ask so they took the map and key and intended to complete the test themselves. Only it hadn’t been a fourth year team, it had been a first year team. The thought of his older students playing such a cruel and dangerous prank on the first years made his blood boil, especially considering the first year team in question had the year’s youngest member on it. None of the storm raging within him showed on his face as he bid farewell to Ruby with the request that she try to rest.

Ruby was glad the headmaster had left, it allowed her the privacy to let loose the tears that she had been fighting off throughout the conversation. Her team was still unconscious, she could cry for now. When they woke up she knew she would have to explain the building to them and she knew they would be furious that they had followed her there. It was such a stupid, childish idea. A treasure hunt? She was an idiot. Ruby didn’t know how much time had passed before she heard a heartrate monitor speeding up. A quick glance told her it was Weiss’. Getting out of bed while being careful to not detach the many wires she sported, Ruby crossed the short distance to her partner and was just about to speak, when Weiss’ face contorted into a pained frown. “Father… no… don’t…” Ruby was taken aback, more so a second later as “Ruby, I’m sorry” tumbled from her partner’s lips. Ruby shook Weiss’ shoulders gently, trying to rouse her. Seconds later Weiss shot up in bed, panting desperately and looking around frantically. When her eyes landed on Ruby she froze. They stayed looking at each other for a moment, before Ruby’s eyes fell down and took in the bandage up the entire length of Weiss’ arm. Blanching slight, Ruby turned and moved to sit back in her bed. She wanted to make sure Weiss was okay, she did, but Weiss deserved better help than what she could provide. All of her team did. 

Seeing her team leader turn her back brought a wave of some powerful, unidentifiable emotion crashing through Weiss, causing her to throw out her injured arm and grab her team leader. Ruby turned back in shock as Weiss stuttered out a feeble ‘don’t go’. A moment passed before Ruby nodded and Weiss shuffled over to allow her partner to sit on the bed next to her. Silence filled the air as neither girl knew what to do.

“I’m so sorry Weiss.” 

“This isn’t your fault Ruby.”

Ruby looked as though she was going to protest, so Weiss did the only thing she could think off and pulled the girl into a tight hug. Both yelped at the pain that coursed through them, Weiss loosening her grip, but neither felt it was enough to pull away. Some time passed, Weiss and Ruby shifting to lie next to each other. Both girls were nearing sleep, wrapped in each other’s arms, when Blake’s terrified scream jolted them awake. The faunus had jumped up in her bed, Yang’s name ripping itself free from her lips, breath coming out in pants. Ruby quickly left Weiss and went over to calm Blake.

“Shh, Blake calm down, you’re okay, Yang’s okay, look.” Ruby pointed towards Yang with one hand, the other raised in a placating manner. Seeing Yang caused Blake’s terror to morph into confusion as she looked at Ruby questioningly. Ruby heaved a deep sigh and told Blake to wait until Yang woke up. The three girls didn’t have to wait long, as around five minutes later Yang sat up silently. All other occupants turned to look at Yang, who raised a hand to her bandaged head slowly. They were all taken aback by how broken Yang looked. Soon, Yang realised she had an audience and turned. Violet eyes met silver and widened as Yang sucked in a breath and began to cry.

“ _Ruby…_ ” 

With that, Ruby bounded over to her sister and wrapped her in a tight hug, both girls sobbing freely. Yang squeezed tightly, muttering all the while.

“I’m sorry, Ruby. Gods above, I’m so sorry.”

For her part, Ruby simply shook her head and held her sister tighter. Weiss and Blake watched, unsure of what to do. Eventually, the two came apart and Ruby sighed. 

“I guess I should explain…” And explain she did. As she summarised what Ozpin had told her, her team got progressively more distressed.

“You mean to tell me that we went through all of _that_ , that I had to live through my worst nightmares, because some asshole fourth year thought it would be funny?”

Ruby, Weiss and Yang turned to a furious Blake with surprise. None of them had ever seen her react like this before. Ruby sighed once more, before seating herself in her sister’s embrace. 

“I’m kind of done with today guys. Do you think we can just… forget about all of this?” Ruby’s request was easier said than done. Nonetheless, the rest of her team nodded, her sister bringing her in for a tight hug, before loosening the hold. 

Ruby really didn’t want to think about the nightmares she was going to have after all of this.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so! What do you think? I'm not really used to writing long one-shots like this, and I honestly feel it lost traction towards the end, but this is just something to celebrate Halloween so I guess it doesn't have to be perfect. I may go back and fix it, but I really wanted to put something out today so it will have to do for now. That being said if anyone spots any errors or has any suggestions for improvement I'm all ears so please let me know!
> 
> Also, if anyone thinks there should be other trigger warnings in the tags please do tell me so that I can update them and keep our fellow fans safe!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this! I plan to start back up with my other fics soon, but I will be taking a break. I'll be posting chapters again in a weeks time! Happy Halloween!
> 
> Edit: I forgot to mention! I made a tumblr blog (Fandom_Trash98) so now if you want to send me prompts you can send them as asks! I also update it whenever I'm writing so you can figure out if I'll be posting anything. You should follow it!


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